Kathmandu: Lionel Messi played his last game for Argentina on Wednesday morning and he finished it the way fans hoped he would. The 39 year old scored one goal and set up two others as Argentina beat Benin 3-0 in a friendly.

More than 85,000 fans filled the Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. It felt less like a normal match and more like a national party.

People came to say thank you to the player who gave Argentina 21 years with the national team. Messi is the country’s most successful player and its captain for many years.

The celebration started before the game. Landmarks across Buenos Aires were lit up in Argentina’s sky blue and white colours. Fireworks filled the sky above the stadium and fans sang the national anthem with deep feeling.

Earlier in the day, a giant number 10 shirt with the word “Gracias” was shown at the National Flag Memorial in Rosario, Messi’s hometown.

Messi’s family watched from the stands. Some of Argentina’s World Cup winners from 1978, 1986 and 2022 were there too.

After the final whistle, Messi found it hard to speak. “It’s hard to talk,” he said. “There are a lot of emotions, a lot of things going through my head. The first thing I think about is my old man.” He was talking about his father who died recently.

He also spoke about what the shirt meant to him. “It was a huge source of pride for me to wear this shirt all this time, more than 20 years,” he said.

“Not coming any more is going to hurt a lot. I swear, I’d love to keep coming my whole life because playing for Argentina is the most beautiful thing that can happen to you.”

On the pitch, Messi gave the crowd one more night of his best football. Argentina’s most decorated player left the international stage as a winner.

With inputs from agencies